JEDDAH: Nearly 1,000 Qataris have crossed the border with the Kingdom as of late Thursday, nearly 650 of whom have come to perform Hajj, according to Saudi authorities.
The Tawasol (Communication) Center has been showered with phone calls from Qataris inquiring about their travel to the Kingdom for the pilgrimage, said Abdullah Al-Madlaj, secretary-general of the King Salman Center for Hajj and Umrah.
Committees have been formed and deployed to the holy sites in Makkah, tasked with responding to any questions from pilgrims, including those from Qatar, he added.
The pilgrims were mainly asking about services offered as part of the King Salman Hajj and Umrah program, he said.
Qataris are still crossing the border, many in their own vehicles, Al-Madlaj added.
Reception sites are supplied with catering services, and pilgrims are told the names and addresses of the hotels they will be staying in at the program’s expense, he said.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, which oversees the King Salman Hajj and Umrah program, has deployed representatives at the Salwa border, and others in Dammam and Al-Ahsa, to provide services to Qatari guests.
The number of guests of the program for this Hajj season has reached some 4,000.
1,000 Qataris cross Saudi border
1,000 Qataris cross Saudi border
